Hinged closure assembly

ABSTRACT

A HINGED CLOSURE ASSEMBLY IN WHICH A DOOR IS FORMED WITH A BODY PORTION EXTENDING ALONG ONE FACE OF A WALL PANEL AND COVERING AN OPENING THEREIN, A LINKING SEGMENT EXTENDING THROUGH THE WALL OPENING, AND A RETAINING SEGMENT EXTENDING ALONG THE OPPOSED FACE OF THE WALL PANEL TO BOTH SIDES OF THE OPENING TO COOPERATE WITH DIMPLES PROTRUDING FROM THE OPPOSED FACE OF THE WALL PANEL TO RETAIN THE LINKING SEGMENT OF THE DOOR IN POSITION ON THE WALL PANEL AS THE DOOR IS OPENED TO EXPOSE THE WALL OPENING.

Feb. 16, 1971 J. P. BLoMerEN 3,562,955

HINGED CLOSURE ASSEMBLY Filed May 1, 1969 I N VEN'TOR.

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United States Patent 3,562,955 HINGED CLOSURE ASSEMBLY Jack P. Blomgreu, Maplewood, Minn., assignor to Minnesota Mining and Manufacturing Company, St. Paul, Minn., a'corporation of Delaware Filed May 1, 1969, Ser. No. 820,916 Int. Cl. E05d 7/00 US. Cl. 49-397 2 Claims ABSTRACT OF THE DISCLOSURE A hinged closure assembly in which a door is formed with a body portion extending along one face of a wall panel and covering an opening therein, a linking segment extending through the wall opening, and a retaining segment extending along the opposed face of the wall panel to both sides of the opening to cooperate with dimples protruding from the opposed face of the wall panel to retain the linking segment of the door in position on the wall panel as the door is opened to expose the wall opening.

This invention relates to an improved hinged closure assembly in which a door and wall panel are respectively formed with a retaining segment and dimples that cooperate to form a free hinge structure and retain the door on the wall panel as the door is opened.

Prior art devices have generally required that the hinge providing rotation of the door and retention of the door on the wall panel be a separate part such as a piano hinge. In many applications, however, such devices are unduly expensive since they require the independent manufacture of a hinge and the steps of securing the hinge to the door and the wall panel. For this reason, prior art devices such as those illustrated in US. Pat. Nos. 2,746,081 and 3,236,408 have utilized, as one wall of a box, a one-piece molded or stamped cover having one or more tabs which extend through apertures in an adjacent wall of the box to provide hinging of the cover. However, these devices are generally not useful when it is desired that a door cover an opening in a generally planar wall panel. Furthermore, they require the formation of apertures in the wall panel in addition to the opening to be covered by the door which may be esthetically displeasing.

It is, therefore, an object of the present invention to provide a hinged closure assembly wherein the hinge is formed by cooperating portions of a door and a generally planar wall panel. It is a further object to provide a hinged closure assembly wherein the only aperture in the wall panel is the opening covered by the door.

The present invention has the advantages desired of a hinged closure assembly and comprises a door formed with a body portion extending along one face of a wall panel and covering an opening therein, a linking segment extending through the wall opening, and a retaining segment extending along the opposed face of the wall panel to :both sides of the opening to cooperate with dimples protruding from the opposed face of the wall panel to retain the linking segment of the door in position on the wall panel both while the door is in a closed position and as the door is opened to expose the wall opening.

The novel features and advantages of the present invention will become apparent after reading the following description which refers to the accompanying drawing wherein:

FIG. 1 is an elevational view of a hinged closure assembly made in accordance with the present invention;

FIG. 2 is an enlarged longitudinal section view taken along line 2-2 of FIG. 1; and

FIG. 3 is an enlarged detail view of one portion of the hinged closure assembly.

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The hinged closure assembly of the present invention consists of two pieces, a wall panel 10 and a door 12.

The wall panel 10 is preferably formed from a sheet of metal such as steel with an opening 14 having at least one straight edge 16. A pair of similar elongated recesses 18 are formed in the inner face 11 of the wall panel 10 on a line that is aligned with the straight edge 16 of the panel opening 14. The recesses 18 are formed one to each side of the panel opening 14 generally equal distances therefrom. A pair of similar elongated dimples 20 are also formed in the wall panel 10 to project from the inner face 11 thereof. The dimples 20 are of generally the same length as the recesses 18 and one dimple 20 is aligned along its length with each of the recesses 20 on the side thereof nearer the opening 14. The recesses 18 and the dimples 20 are preferably formed by a single stamping operation to assure their proper alignment.

The door 12 is preferably formed from a sheet of a resilient material such as steel with a body portion 22, an offset linking segment 24 and a parallel depending retaining segment 26. The door may be cut from a sheet of such material by stamping or blanking to produce an integral member with segments which are then bent to the preferred shape mechanically.

The body portion 22 is formed with a shape similar to and dimensions larger than the wall panel opening 14 to extend along the outer face of the wall panel 10 across the opening 14 with one straight edge 28 generally aligned with the straight edge 16 of the opening 18. The linking segment 24 is generally rectangular and is offset from one edge of the straight edge 28 of the body portion 22. It has a length less than that of the straight edge 16 of the wall opening 18 and it extends from the body portion 22 generally perpendicular to the faces thereof a distance sufiicient to extend through the wall opening 18 as the body portion 22 covers the opening 18.

The retaining segment 26 is generally rectangular and is connected intermediate one generally straight edge 30 to the extended edge of the linking segment 24. It extends parallel to the body portion 22 'in a direction away from the body portion 22. The retaining segment 26 is formed with a length along its straight edge 30 sufficient to position its ends in alignment with the recesses 18 when the body portion 22 covers the wall opening 14. It is preferably formed with a pair of rectangular reliefs 32 in its straight edge, one relief 32 extending between each recess 18 and the juncture of the retaining segment 26 with the linking segment 24. The formation of the reliefs 32 provides a tab 34 at each end of the retaining segment 26 aligned with a recess 18 and a dimple 20 in the wall panel 10. In the illustrated embodiment strengthening ribs 36 are also stamped into the retaining segment 26, one near each end thereof, to prevent distortion of the retaining segment 26 in use.

In use the closure assembly is assembled by maneuvering the door 12 through the wall panel opening to position the body portion 22 on the outer face of the wall panel 10 and the retaining segment on the inner face thereof aligned with and generally above the dimples 20 as viewed in FIG. 1. The door 12 is then moved downward until the tabs 34 at the ends of the retaining segment 26 pass over the dimples 20 and lie adjacent the recesses 18 and the linking segment 24 abuts the straight edge 16 of the wall opening 14. The resiliency of the door material and the provision of the strengthening ribs 36 aid to return the retaining segment tabs 34 into their original plane after passing over the dimples 20, thereby trapping the tabs 34 behind the dimples 20. The door 12 may then be opened by rotating it about the straight edge 16 of the wall opening 14. As the door is opened, the retaining tabs 34 enter the wall panel recesses 18 and the linking segment 24 rotates on the straight edge 16 of the wall opening 14 providing opening of the door 12 to the dotted line position illustrated in FIG. 2, thereby fully exposing the Wall panel opening 14.

It will be understood that the door 12 may also be assembled on the Wall panel by maneuvering the retaining segment 26 through the panel opening 14 in an oblique manner to capture one tab 34 beneath a cooperating dimple 20 and then rotating the door about that tab to align the linking segment 24 with the straight edge 16. This movement will then position the second tab 34 beneath the other dimple 20 to retain the door on the wall panel While the door is closed, as the door is opened and while in open position.

Having thus described the present invention, what is claimed is:

1. A hinged closure assembly comprising:

a wall panel formed with an opening having at least one straight edge and a pair of similar dimples protruding from the inner face of said panel, said dimples being formed one to each side of said opening generally equal distances therefrom on a straight line parallel to and adjacent said one straight edge of said opening, and

a door formed from a sheet of a resilient material with a body portion having at least one straight edge aligned with said straight edge of said wall panel opening and extending along the outer face of said wall panel across said wall opening, a generally rectangular linking segment offset from one edge of said straight edge of said body portion and extending through said wall opening, and a retaining segment formed with and connected intermediate one generally straight edge to said linking segment to extend along the inner face of said wall panel parallel to said body portion and having a length along said one straight edge' thereof greater than the spacing between said dimples,

whereby said door normally covers said wall panel opening and may be rotated about said one straight edge of said wall panel opening to expose said Wall opening while said one straight edge of said door panel retaining segment cooperates with said wall panel dimples to retain said door panel on said wall panel.

2. A closure assembly as recited in claim 1 :wherein said dimples are elongated along said straight line on which they are formed and said door retaining segment extends along its said straight edge generally to the furthest spaced ends of said dimples and it is relieved along its straight edge between said dimples and its juncture with said linking segment, and including means defining a pair of elongated recesses formed in the inner face of said wall panel along a line which is generally aligned with said one straight edge of said wall opening, one said recess being parallel to and coextensive with each of said dimples.

References Cited UNITED STATES PATENTS KENNETH DOWNEY, Primary Examiner US. Cl. X.R, 49-402; 220 31 

